Endoscopic surgical (endosurgical) procedures are receiving wide acceptance in the medical community, as well as among the patient population. The term endoscopic as used herein is meant to refer to minimally invasive surgical techniques, including endoscopy, laparoscopy, thoracoscopy, and arthroscopy. The advantages of endoscopic surgical techniques include reduced post-operative recuperation period, reduced hospital stay, decreased pain, decreased scarring, and a decrease in the length of the operative procedure.
Endoscopic surgical techniques are typically performed by inserting conventional trocars into a patient's body cavity in order to access a particular surgical site, e.g., the gall bladder. Conventional trocars typically consist of an elongated obturator having a piercing point which is concentrically mounted in a conventional trocar cannula. Conventional trocar cannulas typically consist of an elongated hollow tube mounted in a hollow handle. The trocars are inserted into the body cavity and positioned proximate to the surgical site. Then, the trocar obturators are removed, leaving the trocar cannulas as pathways to the body cavity. A conventional endoscope is typically inserted into one of the trocar cannulas. The remaining trocar cannulas are used as pathways to and from the body cavity for instruments and the like.
Numerous endoscopic instruments have been developed for use in endoscopic procedures, including surgical staplers, cutters, graspers, manipulators and the like. In addition, endoscopic suturing devices have been developed and are available for the surgeon. One type of conventional endoscopic suturing device typically consists of an elongated cannula, having an internal axial passage. A suture is typically threaded through the axial passage and extends through and out of the distal end of the cannula. A conventional surgical needle is typically mounted to the end of the distally extending suture. Typically, a pre-tied loop and knot have been emplaced in the distally extending section of the suture. The cannula is typically inserted through a trocar site and the needle and suture are then manipulated using endoscopic needle holders and graspers. Although conventional endoscopic suturing devices are available there may be disadvantages associated with their use. For example, two additional trocar cannulas (in addition to the trocar cannula needed for the suture device) are typically necessary for needle graspers to manipulate the needle and suture. It is also known that with some conventional endoscopic suturing devices it may be difficult for the surgeon to manipulate the needle and suture.
There is a continuing need in this art for new endoscopic suturing devices, which are easily used by the surgeon when performing endoscopic suturing.